Does anyone live 6 months of the year abroad?

[justlookatthatbooty]

Am wondering if anyone here lives six months of the year at home and six months abroad? Am thinking of doing this as have found a school happy to allow us to flexi school enabling us to roam about in warm nature place during the cold dark dutch winters. We're of the home schooling camp so not worried about continuity at school. Anyone?

Are you in Holland? I know they are very strict with the "schoolplicht" so I am surprised you've found a school willing to let you do this.

Also, home schooling is not legal in Holland AFAIK (my son went through the whole system, is at uni now).

P.s. It's my dream to do this in a couple of years too....spend the winter outside NL!

Hi Suburbophobe (great name!)

Yes, the leerplicht is indeed strict, but you are legally allowed to apply for exemption on the basis of your philosoph/religious beliefs and many do. It;s an easy and free process open to anyone who's children have not yet attended school. Contrary to the uK however, if you child has already attended school in Holland, after leerplicht age of 5, it is very difficult to be granted exemption, although some have succeeded. There are a number of Dutch home Ed groups mostly based around Den Hague and Leiden I believe and they are very active and very vocal, just haven't found any in Amsterdam yet! Home Ed is entirely legal here although you are obliged to educate your school, just not obliged to school them. A huge stink, kicked up when there were suggestions of making home ed illegal and various ministers have now agreed that it would be a bad idea to do so. So in some ways its a more friendly environment than, say, Spain, which is very conservative on the matter. The private school that we have found who allow home ed kids to join them are on the edge of Amsterdam and are a wonderful place. The fact that they are fee based make it poss for them to escape some of the Ministry of Ed's 'rules' I believe.
Where (ish?) in NL are you? Do you have at least some access of space/nature? It's rather short on both up this way... :( We are are looking at Portugal, but remaining registered NL'ers so we don't get caught up with Portugese authorities.... more like 'long holiday's over there rather than 'living'. Things can always change though and I'm quite open to a nice school if I find one in a place of at least some sun and some nature.

i mean educate your kids, not educate your school of course.... brain is clearly on leave.